When I was seven or eight I remember asking my mom if it was too early to plan my Halloween costume. It was July. Her answer was, "You can start thinking of ideas, but we aren't going to make anything until September." So according to her, we are in the clear! If you know anyone who is chomping at the bit to break out the bed sheets, pom poms, and hot glue gun, here are some picture books about costumes!
Mysterious Mittens: A Moontime Cats Halloween Story
Written by Jordan Morris
Illustrated by Charlie Mylie
Somerville. MA : Candlewick Press, 2026. Picture book.
A pack of costumed cats make Halloween mischief around the neighborhood. Carl, Biscuit, Peewee, and Mittens (or someone disguised as Mittens...) climb trees, provoke dogs, and smash jack-o-lanterns on an extra spooky night. The cute illustrations of funny, expressive kitties are rendered in warm, glowy colors on nocturnal backgrounds. The case of mistaken identity makes for an amusing throughline in this story. Recommended for cat lovers!
Written by Alan Katz
Illustrated by Stephanie Laberis
New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2024. Picture book.
There's a Halloween costume contest at the zoo! Who will win? Zooloween is a rowdy, flamboyant romp filled with with funny rhymes and some geniunely unique costumes. This would be a fun storytime book.
By Keith Baker
New York : Beach Lane Books, 2025. Picture book.
Those famous little green peas are back, and this time they're trying to decide what they should be for Halloween! An unseen narrator gives dozens of funny costume suggestions while the peas carve giant pumpkins and go trick-or-treating.
By Deb Pilutti
New York, NY : Christy Ottaviano Books, Little, Brown and Company, 2025. Picture book.
Henry is apprehensive about his first day of school. He decides that what will help him is wearing his very special, sparkly fish costume. This picture book isn't specific to the Halloween season, but it shows the power and limitations of costumes. An empathetic, off-beat, gracious story about fitting in and standing out.
Written by Lucy Ruth Cummins
Illustrated by Pete Oswald
New York : Flamingo Books, 2025. Picture book.
This rhyming picture book is about a little sheep who is desperate to dress as a scary werewolf for Halloween. It turns out, werewolves are all the rage this year. And maybe the costume isn't really all that comfortable, either. His parents think he can do better: Why be one of many when you can be one of a kind?
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